Automobile-signal.



J. M. GILCHREEST & E. F. GRAHAM.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. APPLICATION HLED NOV. I7. 1914.

Patented July 30, 1918.

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JAMES M. GILCI-IREEST AND ELLIS F. GRAHAM, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

AU'I OMOBILE-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMns M. GIL- ormnnsr and ELLIS F. GRAHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Automobile-Signals; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which is appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in signals for automobiles, my object being to provide a simple attachment for improvements of this character, which will enable the chauffeur or person in charge of the machine, to notify other machines either approaching or following, that the machine in question is about to turn in one direction or the other. This is important, in order to avoid collisions. Heretofore, where no signal is employed, it is customary for the chauffeur to stick out his hand in order to indicate that he is about to turn. This is not a satisfactory signal as it is sometimes forgotten and on other occasions, it is not noticed by other machines in the vicinity, either for the reason that the display of the hand is of exceedingly short duration, or the other chaufl'eur or chauffeurs are not intently watching. Hence, it has been found of the utmost importance that a signal having the aforesaid function shall be attached to every machine of this character.

y improvement consists of a stationary and a pivoted bar, the latter carrying a small flag upon which any suitable words may be formed, or not, as may be desired. It is preferred that this flag shall be red in order to better attract attention. The stationary bar is secured to a stationary part of the machine, as the wind shield. The pivoted bar when the signal is not displayed, occupies an upright position parallel and in contact with the stationary bar. When it is desired to display the signal, the upper extremity of the pivoted bar is given a slight outward movement by the hand of the chauffeur. A stop is mounted upon a fiexible device, as a cord or wire, which passes through the upper extremity of the stationary bar and is connected with the outer extremity of the pivoted bar, the stop adapted to engage the stationary bar and limit the downward movement of the pivoted bar. lVhen it is desired to raise the signal to the non-signaling position, the chauffeur grasps this stop, which is in the form of a ball of sufficient size for the purpose, and pulls the pivoted bar and its flag upwardly to its normal position.

Having briefly outlined our improved construction we will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing,--

Figure l. is a view of the wind shield of an automobile with two of our improved signals applied, one on either side. This is a view looking from a position in the machine, forwardly or in the direction of travel, toward the wind shield.

Fig. 2 is an end view or a view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, the pivoted-angle-carrying-bar bcing shown in the signal displaying position by full lines, and in the normal position by dotted lines, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 8, Fig. 2, the parts being shown on the same scale as in Fig. 2. This view of the displayed signal is taken in a direction opposite the signal at the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a cross section taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 2, looking downwardly, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate an upright bar to which is secured a pair of spring clamps 6 by means of screws 7. These clamps are provided with projections 8 and 8*. which extend from the circular part 9 of the clamp. The screws 7 are passed through the projections 8 close to the part 9 of the clamp, whereby the bar 5 is close to the part 9. The projection 8 is of sulficient length to extend far enough beyond the bar 5 to allow the cooperating signalcarrying-bar 10 to assume a position close to the bar 5 and in contact with the projection, which forms a stop to prevent the bar 10 from moving beyond its normal or upright position when the signal is raised from the danger to the safe position. The clamping parts 9 are applied to an upright stationary bar- 12. which. may be one of the regular upright arms of the wind shield, or the wind shield may be equipped with an auxiliary or reinforcing U-shaped bar for thepurpose (see Fig. 1 As illustrated in the drawing, the parts ,9 of the clamps which surround the stationary member 12, are provided with ears 13 to which are securedvsmall bolts .14 to which nuts .15 are applied. ln this manner, the. clamps are secured to the stationary member 12, the signalv being then attached to the machine inoperative relation. It is preferred to employ oneofthese signals on each side of the machine, but as the signals are substantially identical in construction, the description-of one is sufiicientfor both.;

The .bar, 10 has. one extremity pivoted, as shown at 16, to the lower extremity of the :bar. 5, and to the bar 10 is secured a flexible signaling device, as a flag 17 which may have any desired words thereon-to indicate its use; or the flag may be devoid of words, iniwhich event, its color, (beingred) indicates to other machines or pedestriansin the vicinity, that themachine to which the signal is. attached, is about to turninthe di rection of the side where the signal is dis played. In the drawing, the words Safety to the left} are shown on the flagelement of the signal, but this is not necessary, as aboveindicated, It is evident that other words, if-desired, may be. substituted for those shown, these words as indicated in the drawing being simply an illustration of the idea that words of any suitable character and conveyingv the desired information may be used to supplement the performance ofthe signaling function. The flag .17 is secured to the bar 10 by suitable fastening devices as screws 18. To the extremity of the bar 10 remote fromthe pivot 16, is secured, as shown at 19, one extremity of a cord, wire or small cable 20, which passes through a perforation 21 formed in the upper extremity of the relatively stationary bar 5, an antifrictional roller or pulley 22 being employed and mounted in the bar just below the perforation, so that the flexible device 20 will engage the antifrictional device while' passing through the perforation. The length-ofthe' cord or'flexible device 20 is-such that whenthe-signal is displayed the bar 10 willbe-held in a position. at right angles orapproximately atright angles to the bar,5,-j and to this end the-.cord 20-;is

equipped ;at;its free extremitywith a stop in the form of aball'23, which is too large to passthrough the perforation 21, and con sequently, forms a stop to prevent the signal arm 10 from moving downwardly fartherthan is necessary, or farther than its position perpendicular to the bar 5.

The bar 10 is slightly longer than the bar 5, so that when the bar '10 isin: the upright position, it projects a short distance above thetop of the bar 5, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. This makes it practicable for the chauffeur to strike theupper extremity of the-bar 10 for the purpose of throwing the signal down to the signaling position, and thuscausingthefiag.to assume the danger position, the ball 23 preventing the flagfrom moving farther downwardly than is necessary, as heretofore explained.

From the foregoing description, the'use and operation of our improved signal will be readily understood. The-automobile is equipped with twoof these signals, one on each side, as illustrated in. Fig. 1 of the drawing. The bar 5, which. is attached to the clamps 9, as heretofore stated, is placed in an upright position adjacent one of the upright arms or side bars of thewindshield, as that designated by the numeral 12, and

the parts 9 of the clamps G-appliedthereto by the use of the screws 14 and thenuts 15. Normally, the flag or signal member 1'1 is in the raised position. as. shown ,atthe right of Fig. 1. When it is: desired to indicate that the driver of themachineis about to-turn-to the right or left, thefichauffeur reaches up with his hand and strikes the upper exposed extremity of the bar 10, in a direction to cause this extremity to move downwardly and outwardly, whereby the flag; is dis-.

said signal comprising a bar: havinga perforation in its upper extremity and-secured to the said shield- 1n an uprightposition,a second barpivoted at one extremity and adapted tooccupy an uprightpositionin cooperative proximlty to the stationary bar, a

flexible flag mounted" upon said secondbar, a flexible device connected: with the free extremity of the second .bar and passing through the perforation in the upperex tremity of the first bar, permitting the: second bar to swingabout its'pivotto a position .at right angles-to the first-bar and at right angles to the direction of travel of the In testimony whereof we aflix our Sigllih automobile, and means mounted upon the tures in presence of two witnesses. flexible device and adapted to engage said JAMES M. GILCHREEST. first bar adjacent the perforation to main- ELLIS l GRAHAM.

5 tain the second bar at the position pei'pen- Witnesses:

dicular to the first bar substantially as de MAZE KIRBY, scribed. A. Ennn'r OBRIEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

